End of a Decade

Thought I better get a quick update in before the end of the decade, especially since I have just over a year left to finish the list!

#149 go to the Indianapolis Symphony

Such a fun time at Symphony on the Prairie! We were absolutely melting at this point but once the sun went down it was much more pleasant. We had quite the spread since Miranda is a charcuterie expert. It was Broadway songs and they did a great job, with a nice mix of old classics and newer hits.

#142 go to 10 Indians games (9 done)

This has become an annual event with our church and aside from the madness of being downtown during Gen Con, it was a beautiful, relaxing evening spent with friends.

#82 read Rhythms of Grace by Kerri Weems

"If we are ever to tap into the abundant life that Jesus came to give us, we must stop the overwhelming momentum of the lives we have created for ourselves. We have to learn to listen and move to a different beat."

"When we are leading healthy lifestyles, we are healthy all around. Spiritual health and physical health can go hand in hand when we realize how much God values our bodies and we make valiant efforts to value them too. Valuing ourselves is part of the process of personal wholeness."

"To be spiritually vital means that our condition is one of strength and continual growth. This kind of spiritual life overflows from unbroken fellowship with Christ as we keep pace with Him under the yoke of grace. It's not something we can force or control through spiritual practices."

"Personal wholeness means trusting that God's wonderful grace is just enough for you. His grace releases us from the pressure of perfect performance. When we admit we are not perfect and never can be, we declare that God is perfect and everything about Him- His work, timing, strength, provision- is perfect as well. We don't have to try to be someone we're not and we can be completely honest about our weaknesses. When I am under the yoke of grace, I am content with where I am right here, right now, weakness and all...as long as I am walking close to Jesus."

#79 read The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey

"No one who meets Jesus ever stays the same."

"There is only one way for any of us to resolve the tension between the high ideals of the gospel and the grim reality of ourselves: to accept that we will never measure up, but that we do not have to. We are judged by the righteousness of the Christ who lives within, not our own."

"Grace is for the desperate, the needy, the broken, those who cannot make it on their own. Grace is for all of us."

"In view of Jesus' clear example, how is it that the church has now become a community of respectability, where the down-and-out no longer feel welcome?"

"Again, I find it strangely comforting that when Jesus faced pain he responded much as I do. He did not pray in the garden, 'Oh, Lord, I am so grateful that you have chosen me to suffer on your behalf. I rejoice in the privilege!' No, he experienced sorrow, fear, abandonment, and something approaching even desperation. Still, he endured because he knew that at the center of the universe lived his Father, a God of love he could trust regardless of how things appeared at the time."

#289 do 10 activities that are new or intimidating (4 done)...make doughnuts

We may have gone a little overboard on the dozens of apple cider doughnuts we made, but it was the end of a fun fall day with friends where we conquered a corn maze.

#289 do 10 activities that are new or intimidating (5 done)...get a mammogram
Haha sorry if this is too much information for any guys that may happen to be reading this, but at least I'm not including a picture for this one. : ) First things first, everything is completely fine. I had a lot going on physically (months of PT after a badly sprained ankle and some dental surgery) and then had to wait a couple of months for my annual physical before I could get in, which gave me some time to process things and mentally prepare myself for whatever the outcome would be. I really leaned into God during that time and felt a lot of peace as I prayed that whatever happened, my life would bring him glory.

But eventually I realized that waiting that long was wearing on me and I was just ready to find out whatever the diagnosis was. He reminded me that although it was right that I had come to him and trusted him with it, he had also placed people in my life to help support me and encourage me in the midst of the anxiety of not knowing. So finally sharing with some trusted friends and family, as well as the ladies in my Bible study group, helped me get through the last couple of weeks before I found out that everything was ok.

Side note: it was not nearly as terrible having it done as everyone had made it out to be. Haha apparently I cause much more pain to myself on a regular basis, so this seemed like nothing.

#36 read The Wright Brothers by David McCullough

This was another really interesting book by David McCullough. I have been interested in the Wright brothers since elementary school, when my friend Courtney and I dressed up as them for a school project. I was a pretty stellar Wilbur and if I happen upon that picture at some point, I will add it to a future blog post.

#268 do a different physical activity for 12 straight months (1 done)...Drumstick Dash

These kiddos did a great job again running the Drumstick Dash. Kinsey was ready to walk way too early, but between carrying them and the occasional sprints through the crowd, they powered through. We also had a fun sleepover the night before with tons of food and surprising them with seasons 1 & 2 of Rescue Rangers. I played the theme song for Kinsey once and she still remembered it months later so I decided it was time for them to be properly introduced to the show. These two are pretty stinking awesome.

#268 do a different physical activity for 12 straight months (2 done)...Donut 5K

This is a pretty incredible group of people. My cousin Jillian does Spartan races and we met some of her racing buddies when we did a Sprint (blogged about it a couple of years ago). Since then I've gotten to know even more of them as I've done various races, cheered them on at theirs, attended theater productions with them, and had some of them come rock climbing with me. The Primal Misfits are such a strong, supportive community that really push each other and build each other up. For the Donut 5K, the guys came out to cheer on the ladies and some of the daughters that joined in.

I hope you've all had a wonderful 2019 and are looking forward to this next year. I'm really trying to buckle down and set some goals to keep me focused since I have just over 15 months left to finish my list. As always, let me know if there's an item you want to help me with or if you have any ideas for my 40 things to do in my 40s list. Happy New Year!